Electromagnetic circuit-controller.



H. G. GEISSINGER.

ELECTROMAGNETIC CIRCUIT 00NTROLLEB.

I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

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HARRY GRANT GEISSINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEISSINGER REGU-LATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROMAGNETIC CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed December 23, 1909. Serial No. 534,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. Gnrssrncnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in ElectromagneticCircuit-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toimprovements in electromagnetic circuitcontrollers, and is particularly applicable to automatic controllers,motorstarters, contactors, etc., which require .the closing, regulatingand opening of circuits adapted to carry heavy electric currents or thecontrol of such circuits from a distance. I

One of the objects of my invention is to reduce the expenditure ofenergy used by the apparatus employed to control electric circuits. Itis well known that the loss of attractive power of electromagnets orother magnetic devices, which must operate their arniatures at adistance sufiicient to close the contacts of switches which operate tobreak powerful currents across a wide gap,

necessitates the use of much larger starting currents through the magnetcoils thanis required to hold the contacts in position when they havebeen closed, the starting or attracting current being generally aboutthree times as strong as the normal holding current. It has, therefore,been the common practice to cause a resistance to be inserted into theenergizing circuit of the electron'iagnet-ic' device atthe completion ofthe pull or stroke of the armature in order to immediately reduce thevolume of current to the minimum amount necessary to produce anattraction of the armature sufficient to hold the contacts together.This not only entails the expenditure of considerable electric energyWhich is dissipated as heat in the resistance, but necessitates theemployment of auxiliary apparatus to introduce and cut out theresistance. My present invention obviates these objections. and avoidsthe use of a supplementary resistance and its operating switch.

@ther objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, while aclearer compre' hension of my invention will be obtained from thefollowing description in connection with,the accompanying illustrativedrawings, in which nFigure 1 illustrates an electromagnetic circuitcontrolling mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 illustrates myinvention as applied to a motor-starter; and Fig. 3 shows thecombination of an electromagnetic switch or eontactor and a motorstarter with automatic maximum current control, illustrating theapplication of mvinvention to a complete remote-control system.

' Referring to the embodiment of my invention as disclosed in theeontactor, or circuit controlling switch illustrated in Fig. 1, themains or current leads are indicated at 1 and 2, to which the load 3,representing any device to be electrically energized, may be connectedthrough the contact 4 and the contact 5, carried by the armature 6, andwhich may be integral. therewith. The magnet which actuates the armature6 is provided with two energizing coils, the holding or retaining coil 8and the liftingor traction coil 9. I have shown these coils displacedlongitudinally upon the core 10, but it will be understood that theywill preferably be superposed with the lifting coil surrounding theholding coil. The control switch 12, with its two contacts 13, 14, whichare simultaneously enga ed by the switch bar, is merely indicateddiagrammatically, and may be one of the many types on the market andpreferably of the quick-acting, knife-blade type.

The operation of this circuit-controlling switch will be clearlyunderstood by those skilled in the art. When the switch bar or blade 12,is thrown into contact with the contact-studs 13 and 14, two paths areformed for the current from the main 1 through the branch connected withthe blade 7 12, to the other main 2, (a) through the holding coil 8, and(b) through the lifting coil 9, the resistance 15, and the load 3. Themagnetic pull generated by the current passing directly between theleads 1, 2, through the holding or retaining coil 8, is insullicient tocause the armature 6 to move. The resistance 15, however, in the otherpath is so proportioned that it will permit a. current to pass throughthe lifting coil 9, which is properly designed to the minimum current ofthe load so that a magnetic ower will be created-amply sufiicient to lit the armature 6. Upon the completion of the upward travel of thearmature, the circuit is completed through the contacts 4, 5, and thearmature to the load 3, which is thereby connected directly between theleads 1 and 2. It will be evident that said path through the contactsand armature is a complete short-circuit around the coil 9 andresistance 15, thus deenergizin said coil although leaving its terminalsstil connected in circuit with the leads throu h the load. Theactual'fiow of current through the coil 9 is, therefore, of, exceedinglyshort duration, being merely during the instant required to lift thearmature and consequently may be of considerable magnitude withoutcausing'any appreciable heating efi'ect in the coil. The armature willbe maintained in raised position by the magnetic eflect of theholding-coil 8, which, as previously explained, is so designed and maybe of a resistance to permitofonly the small amount of current necessaryto maintain the armature in closed position. The circuit through theload is broken by opening the control switch 12, which breaks thecircuits through the two coils 8, 9, deenergizing the holding coil 8,and permittin the armature 6 to drop by gravity, assisted by a spring ifdesired, and thus open the main circuit through the contacts 4, 5.

In Fig. 2, I have shown my. invention applied to a motor-starter of thesolenoid type. As in the construct-ion previously described, themagnetic device is provided with two energizing coils, forliftingandholding-the armature, respectivelv, which I have illustrated as beingsuperposed. In this ar rangement, the armature does not actually makeand break the circuit through the moter 3, and it is merely necessary touse a single blade'main switch. Upon closing the switch 17 there arethree paths for the as sage of the current; (a) through the hol. ing orretaining coil 8 connected directly between the main leads; (b) throughthe lift-v ing or traction coil 9 and the motor 3; and

(c) through the rheostat-lever 6 pivotally connected to the solenoidcore 6*, the resistance coils 20, and the motor 3. It will be apparentthat-in the lowermost position of the lever 6", shown in full lines,thecurrent which flows through the lifting coil 9 will be due to thedifi'erence of potentialacross its terminals caused by the drop acrossthe resistance coils 20. The coils are so pro or-' tinned that thecurrent through the coi 9 due to this difference across the resistancecoils, is sufficient to move the core with its pivotally-attaohedrheostat-arm 6 upwardly,

ut 'theimagnetic pull of the other coil teens 8 is insufiicient to movethe core. It will 'be noted that the amount of resistance 20 in circuitdecreases as the arm 6" moves over the rheostat segments 21, andtherefore that the voltage across the terminals of the coil 9 decreasescorrespondingly, causing less and less current to flow through the coil.Inasmuch, however, as the efiiciency of the ma netizing currentincreases as the amount of iron of the core within the coil increases,the pull is fairly uniform throughoutthc stroke and the motion or" thelever 6", restrained by the dash-pot 22, is more uniform than inexisting types of motor-starters.

Won the lever-arm 6 reaches the last segsired, gradually introducing theresistance 1 20 into the motor circuit, and finally assuming thestarting position shown in full lines.

In Fig. 3, I have shown the devices illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,combined into a complete remote-control system provided with anautomatic controlof the maximum current.

The operation will he understood from the previous description ot thecontactor and the motor-starter. Upon closing the switch blade 12, uponthe contact-studs 13, 14i,'current passes from main 1, through thecoarse wire coil 9, and resistance 15, to the other main 2, by thedivided paths; (a) through the plate 24:, attached to the core of theoverload magnet 25, bridging the contacts 26, 27, 28, low resistancecoil 9 and the motor 3; (b) across bridge-plate 24 to contactstud 27 andthrough the fine wire coil 8*; and (c) through the coil of overloadmagnet 25, rheostat-arm 6 resistance coils 20," and motor 3. The currentthrough these combined paths is sufiicient to lift the armature 6 toclose the main contacts 4", 5, and short-circuit the coil 9, thearmature being maintained. in raised position by the retaining-coil 8.The resistance 15, being also short-circuited, the current increasessufficiently through the coil 9 to lift the core 6*, causing thelever-arm 6 to move over the successive segments 21 and cut out therheostat resistance 20 from the motor 011'- cuit, and finallyshort-eircuiting the coil 9: and'leavin the core 6 under the control orthe plunger 6 by a dash-pot, since if the rheostat-arm 6 should cut outthe resistance coils too rapidly, before the motor increases its speedsuiiiciently, the overloadrelay 25, responding to the augmented current,will lift the bridge-plate 24 and break the circuit at the contacts 26,28, thereby demagnetizing the lifting-coil}; and cansing the plunger 6to stop or drop back until the resistance introduced decreases thecurrent sufiiciently to cause the relay to drop its armature and againclose the circuit through the coil 9 The roper regulation of thestarting current or the motor is thus automatically regulated as itstarts u and increases to its maximum' spee Should the motor at any timebecome overloaded, causing a decrease in its speed and counterelectromotive force, the resulting increase in current will cause theoperation of the overload'magnet with the corresponding. regulation ofcurrent above described. An

absence of voltage upon the mains causes both contactor andmotor-starter to move to open or initial position.

It is to be understood that the arrangements shown and described hereinare used for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment 0 my invention,and that changes can be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. An electromagnetic circuit-controllingdevice for connecting and disconnecting translating mechanism with mainconductors, comprising an electromagnet having an armature andenergizing coils for lifting and for retaining said armaturerespectively, means for connectin said lifting coil in series with thetranslating mechanism and said retaining coil directly between the mainconductors, and means for short-circuiting said lifting coil.

2. An electromagnetic circuit-controlling device for connecting anddisconnecting translating mechanism with main conductors, comprisin anelectroma net having an armature and energizing coi s for lifting andfor retaining said armature respectively, means for connectin saidlifting coil in series with the trans ating mechanism and said retainingcoil directly between the main conductors, and means operable by saidarmature for short-circuitm said liftingcoil and connecting thetranslating mechanism directly with the main conductors.

3. An electromagnetic circuit-controlling device for connecting anddisconnecting translating mechanism with main conductors, comprising anelectromagnet having an armature and energizing coils for lifting andfor retaining said armature respectively, a switch arranged to connectsaid lifting coil in series with the translating mechanism and saidretaining coil in shunt thereto, and main contacts under control of saidarmature to short-circuit said lifting-coil and connect the translatingmechanism directly with the main conductors.

4. An electromagnetic circuit-controlling device adapted to connect anddisconnect translating mechanism with main conductors, comprising anelectromagnet having an armature, a lifting-coil and a retaining coil,connections between one terminal of the lifting-coil and the translatingmechanism, and between one terminal of the retaining-coil and one mainconductor, a contact device operatively connected to the armature andarranged to short-circuit the liftin -coil, and a switch arranged tosimultaneous y connect one terminal of each of said coils with the othermain conductor.

5. An electromagnetic circuit controlling device adapted to connect anddisconnect translating mechanism with main conductors, comprising anelectromagnet having a low resistance coil, a high resistance coil, andan armature, connections between one terminal of the low-resistance coiland the translating mechanism including resistance, and

between one terminal of the high resistance coil and one main conductor,a switch arranged to simultaneously connect one terminal of each of saidcoilswith the other main conductor, and a shunt circuit connected withthe terminals of said low resistance coil having contacts under thecontrol of said armature.

6. An electromagnetic device for controlling the current passing to atranslating mechanism, comprising an electromagnet having an armature anenergizing coils for lifting and for retaining sai armaturerespectively, said lifting coil being in series with the translatingmechanism and the retaining coil in shunt thereto, a resistance in shuntto the lifting coil, and means connected with said armature for cuttingout successive portions of the resistance as the comprising a regulatingsolenoid having an 0, An automatic starter for electric motors,

armature and energizing coils for liftin and for retaming sald armaturccore, sal

switch arm pivotally connected to-the core and arranged to cut outsuccessive portions of said resistance as it moves to attractedposition;

9. A device for the remote control of translating mechanism comprising acurrent regulator having an electromagnet provided with an armature coreand energizing coils for lifting and retaining said armature corerespectively, said coils being respectively in series with and in shunttc the translating mechanism, a starting resistance in circuit with saidmechanism and in shunt to said lifting coiLmeans connected with saidarmature core for cutting out said resistance, and a circuit closingdevice comprising an electromagnet havi an armature and-energizing coilsfor lifting and retainin said armature respectively, contacts control edby said armature arranged to short-circuit said lifting coil, and aswltch to connect said lastmentioned lifting and retaining coils inseries and in shunt respectively with the translating mechanism.

10. A device for the remote control oi? translatingl mechanismcomprising a current regulator aving an electromagmt' rovided with anarmature core and'energizmg coils for lifting and retaining saidarmature core res ctivcly, said coils being respectively in series withand in shunt to the translating mechanism, a starting resistance incircuit with'said mechanism and in shunt to said lifting coil, meansconnected with said arms ture core'for cutting out said resistance, and

" a circuit closing device comprising'an electromagnet having anarmature and energizing coils for lilting and mtaining said armsturerespectively, contacts controlled by said armature arran toshort-circuit said lifting-coil, and a switch to connectsaidlastmentioned lifting a retaining coils in series and in shuntrespectively with the current regulator.

11. A; device for the ren'iote control of translating mechanismcomprising a current regulator having an electromagnet provided with anarmature core and energizing coils for lifting and retaining saidarmature core respectively, said coils hein respectively in series andin shunt to t e trans-- dating mechanism, a starting resistance incircuit with said mechanismfand' in shunt to said lifting coil, meansconnected with said armature core for cutting out said resistance,aeircuit closing device comprising an. electromagnet' having an armaturemain contacts for the motor circuit, and an electromagnet forcontrolling said contacts having energizing coils in series and in shuntrespectively with said resistancevaryin device.

13. ii an automatic starter for electric motors, a starting resistancefor the motor circuit, an electromagnetic resistance-vary: ing devicehaving energizing coils in series and in shunt to said motorrespectively, said series coil being in shunt to said resistance, maincontacts for the motor circuit, and an electromagnet for controllingsaid contacts having energizing coils in series and in shuntrespectively with said resistance-vary-' ing device and each of saidseries coils heing short-circuited when the corresponding armatures arein attracted position.

14. In an automatic starter for electric motors, a starting resistancefor the motor circuit, an electromagnetic resistance-varying devicehaving energizing coils in series and in shunt to said motorrespectively, maincontacts for the motor circuit, an electromagnet forcontrolling said contacts having energizing coils in series and in shuntrespectivel with said resistance-varying device, an an overload relay inthe motor circuit.

15. An electromagnetic circuit-controlling device, comprisin anelectromagnet having an armature an ener .zing coils for lifting and forretaining sai armature respectively, a resistance in shunt to said coilswhen the armature is in its lowest or unattracted position, meansconnected with said armature for cutting out said resistanceandshort-circuiting said lifting-coil when the armature is in its raised-orattracted position, and a maximum-current device for dis; connecting thelifti -coi;lin the event of an excessive or overloa restoring the samewhen the current decreases' to normal value.

current and for again 16. An automatic starter forelectric mctors,comprising a regulating solenoid hav- 1 anarmature an li ing and forretaini sai armature core,

said lifting and retaining coils being con energizing coils for nectedin series and in shunt respectively with the motor, a startingresistance in the motor circuit and in shunt to said lifting coil, aswitch arm pivotally connected t the core and arranged to cut outsuccessive portions of said resistance as it moves to attractedposition, and. means for denergizing said lifting coil and causing thereinsertion of resistance upon the flow of an excess current and for.again energizing the lifting-coil upon the restoration of normalcurrent. i

v In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY GRANT GEISSINGER.

Witnesses:

LAURA E. SMITH, LOUISA E. SIMBON.

